The commercial radio industry has urged the Federal Government to put in place a crisis relief package to support broadcasters struggling with falling ad revenues.

Peak industry body Commercial Radio Australia canvassed a range of financial and regulatory measures with Communications Minister Paul Fletcher some weeks ago to ease the pressure on radio operators resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.

CRA has called on the Government to implement measures to support the industry’s sustainability, including:

• increase radio’s share of the current COVID-19 information campaign and other government advertising to at least 15% of total government ad spend
• provide immediate relief from spectrum licence fees for two years
• change regulation to allow MPs’ to use their electorate communications allowances on local radio, especially in regions. The current rules allow MPs to use their allocations on social media to inform constituents of news and events in their electorates but not radio.

CRA boss Joan Warner said that CRA is deeply disappointed that regional radio is still excluded from the Regional and Small Publishers’ Innovation Fund after the Minister’s announcement that $5 million is being released from that fund to support regional news and journalism.